Snow Fairy's Destiny
by Yukimi Azuma of Fairy Tail
Summary: (This is my first fanfiction ever published. It starts out kind of dark, but I promise it will not stay this way.)The tale of a young girl plagued by sorrow in an incredible unknown world. Will she find love in the form of a tenacious dragon slayer or will the pain she feels lead her down a different path?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

"What's going on," I ask as I pass through the access door to the roof of the building. A policeman standing with his back to me turns quickly, surprised. He makes his way towards me. His expression is one of nervous concern. A bad feeling seeps through my body. "What's happening," I demand.

The policeman stammers, "Are you Yukimi Azuma?" I nod as my ominous feeling grows intensely. "Please, come with me," he requests. I follow his hurried footsteps around the edge of the doorway. Standing about thirty paces from the building's edge is another policeman. Her voice carries softly, like a mother to a crying child, to the person standing inches from the edge. The setting sun peeks out from behind the clouds.

I freeze in my tracks as my heart leaps into my throat. _Hotaru!_ As if I had spoken his name aloud he turns away from the edge. Tears glisten in his almost black eyes. "Yukimi?" I nod. He sighs, "I'm glad you're here. I'm so tired of this place, Kimi."

"What do you mean, Taru," I choke out. I take slow steps towards the vulnerable boy.

His shoulders sag as if he bares the weight of the world on them, "I'm tired of living this life. I'm ready to die."

Tears spring to my eyes as I continue to make my way toward Hotaru. "Please, Taru, rethink this. For my sake," I plead, "Please? I love you and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

A sad smile upturns the corners of his mouth. He leans back on his heels. His body begins to fall backwards off the edge as he states, "I love you too, Kimi." I scream and race to the edge looking over. I watch him continue to fall closing my eyes before the end….

 _ **Two Weeks Later**_

I stare at my ceiling listening to the silence and thinking. I think of Hotaru, of how he looked before he jumped. I think of his funeral and all the crying students from our school. The students that pretended to be his friends, our friends, but weren't there for him when he needed them most. _But you were,_ a tiny voice in the back of my head whispers. "Yes, I was," I mumble, "But I couldn't save him either."

 _You should go through with your plan,_ the voice continues to whisper, _We both know how broken and empty you are inside. You'll feel better. No more pain. No more sadness. You can even be with Hotaru again._

"I know," I whisper, "I'll do it." I sit up reaching for the knife. Its blade glints in the dim light of the moon from my window. My hands tremble as I rest the sharp edge of the knife against the soft skin of my forearm. Applying pressure I slide the blade down my arm toward the palm of my hand blood welling up around the blade and slipping over my arm and to the floor. I do the same thing with the other arm achieving the same results. Laying back again staring at my ceiling I feel the life begin to slip from my body then a feeling of falling. My mind empties of all thoughts and I welcome the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

My body feels weightless and the sound of rushing air whistles in my ears. My mind's fuzzy but I can feel my confusion. Cracking open my eyes I see bright sky fly pass and green and brown earth rushing up to meet me. It's so close now. I close my eyes again in preparation when all the wind is knocked from my lungs. The impact isn't as bad as I thought it would be. There's a grunt not far from where I landed and rolled.

The sunlight is blocked from my eyes by a shadow. My eyes open slightly from weakness as my torso is lifted off the ground. Red eyes set in a stern face and framed by a black mass of spiky hair peers down at me. I mumble, "You should have just let me fall."

He just grunts as my mind starts to slip into darkness. Cool air tickles my throat as my scarf is removed. My wrists are jerked together and subsequently tied. I'm confused until I remember the deep cuts on my wrists. Just as my mind blanks I hear him growl, "Panther Lily, fly back to the guild. Tell them I need help."

 _ **Gajeel**_

I lift the pale unconscious girl placing her arms around my shoulders and carrying her piggy back style. Once she's in a comfortable enough position for me I start running back to the guild hall. _What's this girl's problem? She must have wanted to die bad if she slashed her wrists and jumped from somewhere. But where? There weren't any air ships in the area._

I continue to contemplate how the girl ended up falling from the sky as the first signs that I'm nearing the guild come into view. Just as I pass through the gate the double doors are flung open for me. Inside Mirajane takes the girl off my shoulders and proceeds to carry her upstairs Wendy in tow. Master Makarov calls my name. I go over to him.

"Tell me what happened," he demands.

I take a seat in front of him at the bar and begin the story, "I was walking through town when a shadow passed over me. When I looked up I saw the girl falling from the sky. I don't know where she came from 'cause there was nothing there. I saved her and brought her back here." _Not to mention she told me I should have let her die._ Master nods his head deep in thought. I stand up to leave when my name is called.

"Dude, you might want to go change I can smell that girl's blood all over you," Natsu complains. I look down at myself noticing for the first time the dark stain on my shirt.

"Shit," I growl. I march angrily from the guild hall returning to my home for a clean shirt. As I rummage around in my drawer I start to think about the girl again. _If she got blood on my shirt then her scarf is completely soaked through. Speaking of her clothes looked pretty tattered as well._

"What are you thinking about," Lily asks interrupting my inner thoughts.

I straighten and lean against the wood. I smirk, "What makes you think I'm thinking at all?"

"Please," he scoffs, "You had a deep concentration look on your face." He quirks an eyebrow waiting for my response.

Rolling my eyes I tell him, "The girl got blood on my shirt which means she bled through her scarf." He nods. I wait for him to say something except he doesn't. Growling in irritation I stalk out. The night is cool after such a warm day. _Maybe I should go check on her._ I make my way back to the guild. I stop short on the path looking up toward the small hidden window of the tiny infirmary room. With a shrug I decide to climb up and check out the chick that has taken it over.

I pop the windowpane open as quietly as possible as not to disturb her. She looks peaceful the only evidence of her ordeal the thick white bandages the cover a third of both forearms just above her hands. I proceed to look around the room for her clothes. They're in a chair near the window clean and folded neatly. Placing my hands on the inside of the window I sneak in and tip toe to the chair. Gathering her clothes in my arm I slither back out making it look like I was never there.

Walking away I snicker at how sneaky I am. _Now I'm going to go get her something more suitable to wear._ "Gajeel, it is impolite to steal a young woman's clothing," Lily chastises.

I bark, "Back off. I'm actually going to buy her more clothes." This takes the black cat by surprise. "They reek of her blood. It wouldn't be right." He chuckles. "What," I demand

"Who knew you had a soft spot," he prods.

I yell embarrassed, "Oh, shut up!" My smile betrays the truth as we head back home for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Chapters will get longer as the story goes on. Any reviews that can help me keep the story understandable is appreciated so feel free to leave me a comment! I hope everyone enjoys this story.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL! Although the story is moderately based off the series.**_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

I groan as I come to. I'm unbearably warm as a bright light shines on my face. Cracking open an eye I realize that it's early morning sunlight. Birds are chirping away happily on the sill of the small window. "Oh! You're awake," an eerily perk voice states. I'm startled and quickly turn my head toward her. She's pretty with silvery-white long hair with a small ponytail holding up her bangs. A raspberry hued dress covers most of her porcelain colored skin.

"Where am I," I ask. Looking around, the room is small with just the small window near the bed and the door behind the girl.

She smiles, "You're in the Fairy Tail Guild hall. My name is Mirajane." I push myself up into a sitting position. Mirajane sits on the edge of the bed and lifts my right hand. She goes about examining it closely then asks, "What happened to you?"

"Nothing," I mumble, pulling it away. She looks hesitant like she's about to say something before deciding not to.

"Okay," she smiles, "You can get up whenever you want. Your clothes are over on the chair. What's your name?"

I look to where she's pointing replying absentmindedly, "Yukimi Azuma." She says something back to me, but I don't hear her. The door clicks shut behind her as she leaves. Flinging back the covers I stand and make my way to the chair. _These aren't my clothes. They're totally different and,_ I sniff them, _they smell new._ Another smell catches my attention. I lift my scarf to my nose and take a deep whiff. _My scarf smells like a stranger and a cat. What the hell?!_ I look around the room for the clothes I was wearing, but they seem to have vanished. With a sigh I proceed to get dressed.

 _Whoever picked out these clothes did a good job._ A maroon flannel long-sleeve shirt covers my torso paired with a pair of black skinny jeans tucked into ankle high heeled boots. My scarf goes perfectly with the ensemble. I attempt to tame the fly away strands of my hair with little success. Deeming myself ready I exit the room and make my way down the stairs.

There's a bar near the bottom of the stairs and the relatively large-sized room is bustling with people. I tense feeling uncomfortable around these people. I sneak by the three people at the bar inching toward the only empty table in the back of the room. I make it unhindered. With a relieved sigh I sit down. The crowd is obnoxiously loud as two boys, one with pink hair the other with black, start to argue in the middle of the room. "What'd you say Flame Brain," the black haired boy yells

The pink haired one replies equally as loud, "You're an idiot, Ice Breath!" I roll my eyes as they continue to bicker. A bright colored redhead splits them up. The two cower away from her as if terrified. I start to feel a little dizzy so I lay my head on the table. _They're definitely weird that's for sure._ I close my eyes to rest for a moment…

* * *

 _ **Gajeel**_

"Welcome back," Mirajane greets from her usual place behind the bar. I just nod to her. The place is emptying out the closer it gets to closing time. I get my drink and Make my way to my normal table in the back of the guild hall. Lily is already there looking at a small hunched over form. I place my tankard on the table. Something is familiar about the clothes then it dawns on me, _This is the girl from last week. But, I thought she would have left the moment she woke up._ As if reading my thoughts Mira appears beside me, "She's been there most of the day."

"Why didn't anyone wake her up and make her go back to bed," I demand.

Mira smiles, "I felt like she needed to be around people. To see what it's like to be around people who care." I'm caught off guard by the girl's words. _I never thought of it that way._ Mirajane turns around heading back towards the bar. "Gajeel, will you take her back up to her room, please," she asks sweetly. With an eye roll I lift the girl in my arms like a small child. The light gray head rests against my collarbone sending a warm unwelcomed tingle down my spine.

Carrying her toward the stairs I freeze mid-step as an odd sound fills my ears. I move my head back enough to look at her face. Tears. Small, normally, silent tears slide down her cheeks as she cries in her sleep. I continue my ascent up the stairs reaching the small infirmary room quietly. I place the girl on the bed, remove her shoe, and cover her up with the thin quilt. Turning to leave I stop as the girl cries out, "Hotaru," in her sleep. I can hear the pain in her voice. Surprisingly, anger bubbles up in my veins. My fist clenches as I leave the room.

" _Hotaru"? Who the hell is "Hotaru"?_ My mind races as I walk back to the house I share with Lily not far from the guild hall. _Is he the one that made her do that to herself? I'd love to get my hands on him if he is…._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Three**_

 _ **Gajeel**_

Lily and I decide to head back to the guild hall after another day of training. The area around us is silent as we walk. The only thing to be heard is our heavy breathing. The setting sun makes the air warm as sweat trickles down the side of my face. I find myself slipping into my own world when Lily breaks the silence, "Do you think you'll have to put that girl to bed again tonight?"

"I hope not," I grumble, "And her name is Yukimi."

Lily prods, "Is someone warming up to the new girl."

"Hardly." We continue on in silence as we reach the fence surrounding the guild hall. Everything is quiet as Mira starts to close up the bar. I push the doors open and, instinctively, look toward "my" table only to find it empty. I walk to the bar like I never even noticed, but no one fools Mira.

She smiles, "She left shortly after you two did this morning." Lily and I look at each other. Our attention is drawn back to Mira when she continues, "I'm actually a little worried about her. I hope she hasn't done anything to get hurt."

That sparks a reaction out of Lily. "I'll go look for her," she sighs as he gets up to leave. I sit at the bar trying to wait patiently for any news.

 _ **Panther Lily**_

I turn toward the East back near the guild hall after finishing my search of the town. I see a glimpse of dark color against the grayish-tan of the mountain behind the guild hall. Flying closer I recognize the girl, Yukimi, sitting with her back against the stone facing the west. The last light of day shining on her silver-gray hair. I swoop down landing a few feet away. "Yukimi," I start. She raises her head and looks at me.

"What do you want," she asks. Her voice stops me in my tracks. It's as if all the sorrow in the world rests on her shoulders. Her eyes are sad and dull, empty dull, and red-rimmed.

I swallow hard, "I came to find you. Mirajane is worried about you." _Frankly, so was I after figuring out what she'd tried to do._

"Why does she care what happens to me when not even…" she trails off as a sob escapes her lips. Yukimi buries her head in her arms as she continues to cry. I approach and sit next to her placing a hand on her arm to comfort her.

Quietly, I ask, "Why do you hurt so much?" Yukimi doesn't reply for a while so I sit there waiting patiently.

"I lost the person I loved the most," she whispers eventually, "He meant everything to me and he left me."

I sigh, "I'm sorry he broke up with you, but…"

"He didn't break up with me," she interrupts, "He jumped off of a twenty story building two weeks ago." I'm completely shocked by this revelation. Sitting there stunned I watch as she begins to cry again. "I was there," she sobs, "I saw it all." Her body shakes with the force of her tears.

I stand so that I'm roughly at the same height as she is and hug her as best I can. "I'm so sorry," I whisper as even I am hurt by this news. We sit like that for a while before I realize that night has fully fallen. Pulling back I tell her, "We should get back before we have Gajeel and Mira hunting for us." She nods and stands. I use my aero magic to unfurl my wings and take to the air. Grabbing a hold of the underneath of her arms I lift both of us into the air and make our way back to the grounds of the guild hall.

Once I set Yukimi on the ground I land beside her and disperse my wings. I go to take a step forward when my feet leave solid ground. I'm in the girl's arms as she pushes the double doors open. The lights are off and Mira sits at the bar waiting patiently. She smiles as we come closer, "Gajeel went on home, Lily, he said he'd see you there."

I nod to her as Yukimi starts climbing the stairs back to the little infirmary room she's staying in. Once there and in bed I take my leave. My path turns toward home as I think about what I was told by the mysterious girl. _The poor girl. Maybe we should invite her along on one of our missions…_

 **The Next Day**

 _ **Gajeel**_

"We should WHAT," I explode at the breakfast table.

Lily scowls, "We should bring her with us on a job. She wouldn't feel so intimidated with a fewer amount of faces around her and she could really use a friend." I'm staring at him like he's speaking a foreign language. He sighs aggravated and turns to leave. "Think about it Gajeel." The door closes behind him.

Placing my dishes in the sink I head toward the guild hall. _It's not a bad idea, actually. I mean, I am the one who tried to help her out maybe she'll open up a bit to me._ I shake off the thought as I enter the building. Even this early the place is bustling with activity. Over at my usual table is Lily who's talking to Yukimi. She nods as he speaks. I clench my jaw, _Apparently she's coming with us on a job whether I like it or not._ I walk over to the request board to find a job. _It should be easy so she can actually do something. She might feel better about her situation if she does._ The perfect job practically jumps out at me. A small escort job.

I take the flyer off the board. At the bar I tell Mira that I'm taking the job. "Mira, I'm gonna take the girl with us," I confide.

"No you will not, Gajeel," Master Makarov states. We both look toward the old man sitting cross-legged on the bar.

Mira chides, "Master. I think it would be good for her. If it's the matter of her not being a guild member then make her one." I cock an eyebrow at the Strauss girl then look toward the master. He seems to be contemplating a decision. He grunts with a consenting nod several moments later. Mira smiles as she places our names on the job registry.

I take the flyer to my table and sit down. "I got us a job Lily. We leave at noon," I tell the black cat. Yukimi casts her eyes down perhaps avoiding eye contact or hiding her disappointment, evident in the way her posture has changed. I look at Lily surprised. He shakes his head with his hands held up. I sigh in exasperation. "Yukimi, you're coming with us, too," I state, "As long as you want to go."

Her head snaps up as her face registers surprise. She nods with a whispered, "Okay."

"Do you know where the train station is," I ask. She shakes her head in the negative. "Okay. Lily stay with her and show her the way. I'll meet you there at a quarter till noon," I explain, "There's something I gotta do first." They both nod as I stand and leave heading for town.

Not far from the Sakura trees is an outdoor clothing store. I detour into the front door. At the desk is a little short round man who smiles at me. "Yes? How may I help you today," he asks trying to suck up so I'll buy something.

"You make cloaks here for magic users correct," I question. The little man nods furiously. "Good. I need a cloak made….."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Four**_

 _ **Yukimi**_

I try to push away the feeling of excitement and nervousness of this "job," but I continue to watch the clock tick slowly. _Waiting like this reminds me of my first date with Hotaru._ My stomach knots up as the thought passes through my mind. The deep ache in my chest reminding me of the downward spiral my life has become. I slump as sorrow pulses through my veins as my thoughts travel to the painful past.

Lily pulls me back to the present when he asks, "It's time to head toward the train station, you ready?" I nod standing to follow the cat out of the building. I push all my feelings away and close myself off to feeling. I allow myself to go numb. We reach the door when my name is called.

I turn to see the Master. "Yukimi," he looks hesitant, "If you find that taking jobs and being a member of a guild suits you I would like you to join us here at Fairy Tail." I'm taken by surprise at his words. I look up behind him to see the two boys from my first day, the ones that were arguing, and the red head who split them up. They're smiling and nodding. I nod to them as I turn following Lily out.

The train station isn't far from the guild hall. Lily collects our tickets from the window before heading toward the terminal. I follow close on his heels. There is no sign of the boy who told me to meet him here. Lily and I take a seat on a nearby bench to wait for him. At ten minutes to twelve the train begins to take on passengers. I stand with lily in my arms and cross the walkway to board the train when a voice yells out to us. I stop mid-stride turning to look.

He runs up to our side, "Sorry. Took longer than I expected." We all climb onto the train quickly finding our seats. I sit by the window so I can watch the scenery, it helps my motion sickness, while the boy sits diagonal from me with Lily beside him. They're whispering to each other. As the train starts to roll down the track the boy says, "Yukimi." I look at him waiting. "I'm Gajeel Redfox. I thought my cat, here, told you my name already," he growls.

"I am Yukimi Azuma," I reply looking back out the window. A thought occurs to me and I look at Gajeel again asking, "What exactly is this job?"

He looks at me surprised recovering with, "It's an escort job. The client wants us to travel with something important to its new location to protect it."

"How long will it take?"

"Well," he thinks looking out the window, "The flyer said it will take two days to get to the pickup point. We'll stay with the client for a day before accompanying the cargo another two days to the delivery point. We'll meet up with the client tomorrow." I stare at him deadpanned thinking, _This job is going to take SEVEN DAYS to complete? And I'm going to be alone with a boy for the entire time!?_ My mind completely blanks of all coherent thought. "Yukimi," he asks snapping his fingers in front of my face, "Yukimi, snap out of it. What's wrong?"

"Huh," I ask confused, "Oh. Nothing." He nods taking his seat again. We both watch the land fly by when a voice comes over the intercom stating that we'd be stopping in a few moments at another train station.

I start to think about everything I know about this place so far. _I definitely isn't the place where I grew up. And why was that building I woke up in called a guild hall? Guilds are normally where wizards or mages gather to work with others like themselves. Wait. Does that mean that all those people in the large room are wizards?_ I glance out of the corner of my eye at Gajeel. _If that's true then what kind of magic does he use? Do I have magic, too?_

The train starts moving again after our stop at the next train station. A couple asks if they can sit with us since the rest of the train car is full. I nod standing to move next to Gajeel. Lily is asleep in the window seat so I lift him up gently and place him in my lap as I sit. The two of us don't say a word to each other as we continue our journey. Eventually I start absentmindedly petting Lily's head.

 **Several Hours Later**

I'm nudged awake. I moan as my eyes flutter open. I look around slightly confused when I remember I'm on a train. Gajeel is sitting in front of me a box of food in his lap. "Your's is beside you," he mumbles around a bite of food. My stomach rumbles at his words. I feel a blush creep across my face. He pauses mid bite before putting the forkful in his mouth. I take the box and begin eating.

Feeling brave I ask, "What kind of magic do you use, Gajeel." My breath stops as I wait nervously for an answer.

"I'm an Iron Dragon Slayer," is his reply.

I cock my head, "Dragon Slayer?"

"A person who is raised by a dragon and is taught Dragon Magic," he explains.

Something about that sounds familiar to me. I rack my brain trying to remember what when it comes to me. A memory from my childhood.

 _My mother and I are sitting under the bare tree as snow falls around us. She's telling me a story about Dragons her breath creating white puffs in the air. "Are there any Dragons left, Momma," I ask._

" _No, sweetie, Authikkan and I are the last," she replies._

 _I ask curiously, "You and Authikkan are Dragons?"_

" _Yes," she smiles sadly, "We are the last of our kind, but you and Hotaru are not the last of the Dragon People. You will meet more of your people at some point in your life." She stands and offers her hand. Taking it she leads me through the snow back to our home._

"Are Dragon Slayers the same as Dragon People," I ask absently.

Gajeel and Lily consider it for a moment. "I would assume they are," Lily responds. I nod. "What are you thinking, Yukimi?"

"When I was about ten I remember my mother telling me a story about Dragons. After she finished it I asked her about them. I remember her saying that she and Authikkan were the last," I explain, "But she told me that Hotaru and I were not the only Dragon People. That I would meet more of my people in the future."

Gajeel is staring at me like I'm an alien. "Are you saying you're a Dragon Slayer?" I nod faintly not completely sure myself. "What kind of slayer magic do you use," he urges.

I try to think back to the things my mother taught me. "Ice," I reply feeling a little more sure. We just stare at each other for a long moment. I turn back to my food to finish it. Gajeel takes my que finishing his meal as well.

Our group doesn't talk again as we settle in to get some sleep. I close my eyes and let the darkness take me.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Author's Note: This fanfiction will have a few additional OC's that are characters I created so as not to change the actual story line of the manga/anime. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Any advice is appreciated! As always I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL._**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Five**_

" _Kimi," a voice calls in a sing-song voice, "Kimi." I turn in a circle looking for the owner of that voice. It sounds familiar. It hits me like a bullet to the heart._

 _I call out, "Hotaru? Hotaru!" He appears in front of me surrounded by a dark flame. My stomach churns at the way his face looks. One side is caved in and disfigured._

" _Why did you let me fall," he asks. Only one side of his mouth moves when he speaks._

" _I didn't let you fall," I sob, "I tried to stop you, Taru."_

 _He growls, "No you didn't. It's your fault I fell. You gave up on me. You were leaving me."_

" _No," I scream, "No! I didn't give up on you. I would have never left you." Tears stream down my face as I fall to my knees. I can feel my heart shattering into even smaller pieces._

 _He runs at me lunging and screaming, "Liar!"_

I jump awake breathing hard. I sob as I continue to cry. _Maybe it is my fault he's dead._ The thought crushes me even more. Taking a deep breath I look across at Gajeel with Lily in his lap both asleep. They look so peaceful. Another sob escapes my lips as more tears fall. On impulse I move to sit beside Gajeel. I lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes willing myself to go back to sleep. The gentle movement of his shoulder as he breathes lulls me back to sleep.

 _ **Gajeel**_

"Gajeel," a voice hisses, "Gajeel. Wake up." My eyes snap open. I glance around looking for danger. There's a weight on my shoulder. I turn my head to look. My eyes widen in surprise at Yukimi fast asleep against my side. She looks completely at ease where she's at. _She's very pretty._

She starts to wake up. Her eyes open and close a few times before they snap open. Yukimi raises her head looking up at my face. She blushes a dark pink looking down. My heart thumps a couple times as I think, _I was wrong. She's absolutely gorgeous._

 _ **Yukimi**_

I try to avoid eye contact with Gajeel the rest of the train ride after getting caught sleeping on his shoulder. I blush just thinking about it. _He didn't seem to mind much though.…He even blushed when I caught him staring at me when I woke up._ I shake my head furtively, _He doesn't like me. How could he after knowing what I've done._ My inner ramblings are cut short when we reach the town where we're supposed to meet the client.

I follow my partner off the train onto the platform. As we walk toward the exit I can hear people whispering around us. "Isn't that Black Steel Gajeel," one man asks.

Another answers, "Yeah. That's him, but who's the chick with him?"

"Could that be his girlfriend," a female voices adds. I feel myself blush furiously. _As if!_

A second girl's voice scoffs, "If she is a lot of girls are gonna hate her." I duck my head and step closer to the Dragon Slayer.

"She's really pretty though," a small voices states, "I can see why he would make her his girlfriend."

I clench my fist trying to block everyone out. "Ignore them," Gajeel advises, "They're all fools." I nod and follow him out onto the street. He turns to me, "You okay?"

"Yeah," I mumble, "I just hate being stared at. I always have." He nods in understanding then turns toward the street and starts walking down it. I follow quietly embarrassed by my admission. Lily, flying beside Gajeel, falls back to talk with me.

"Don't bother yourself with Gajeel's reactions," he smirks, "He's never been very social."

I smile slightly, "That makes two of us." We continue to walk in silence down the street. The houses that line the street become more glamorous and extravagant. "How much farther is our client's home," I ask.

Gajeel stops, looking up at a huge grand house. I look too slack-jawed at the beauty. As I stand there gaping Gajeel knocks on the door. Lily waves a hand in front of my face bringing me back to earth. I hop up the steps to join Gajeel just as the door opens. "We're here to accept the escort job. We are members of Fairy Tail," he states confidently.

The older gentleman nods, "Of course. Please, right this way." He steps aside to allow us entrance. We wait patiently as he closes the door and takes his place in the lead. We travel down a clean hallway decorated with expensive works of art. _This place reminds me of the art museums back home._ I refrain from palming my face as I remember, _I need to ask Gajeel about exactly where the hell I am._

We're asked to wait momentarily as his boss is told of our arrival. I stroll over to the window gazing out at the setting sun. The view is spectacular. The master of the house enters the room just as the sun dips behind the mountains having left us to wait about thirty minutes. I take a seat beside Gajeel resolute to allow him to do the talking. The man is older, maybe in his forties, with graying hair. He would be considered attractive to women older than me. _Or maybe if he looked more like Gajeel,_ my mind whispers teasingly. I quickly squelch it. His eyes betray his kindness even though his face is set in a stern expression. The man sits across from us.

He introduces himself, "I am Alastair Akimoto."

"My name is Gajeel Redfox. This is Yukimi Azuma and Panther Lily," he then asks politely," What is it that we are expected to escort?"

"My son, Nevada Akimoto. His sixteenth birthday is at the end of the week," Mr. Akimoto explains, "The school semester ends in three days. Normally we allow him to travel home alone, but we have recently been receiving threats from a Dark Guild that is rumored to be located around here. My wife and I are worried for the wellbeing of our son as he returns home this year and asked for the help of the guilds."

Silence settles in the room as Gajeel seems deep in thought. I fidget nervously looking down at my hands. Finally, Gajeel asks, "What school does he go to and what town is it in?"

"It is called Sword and Cross Academy. It is at the end of the northwestern train tracks in a town everyone calls Academy City. It was built around the school itself," we are told, "Do you have any other questions?" Gajeel shakes his head as I continue to sit where I am quietly. Mr. Akimoto stands and gestures, "Very well, we have a guest room prepared for you. I must apologize though. We did not know that two Mages would come and the other rooms are filled with family members for the party."

I stay quiet as my companions assure him that one room would be fine. We follow the gentleman that answered the door out of the room into the hallway once again. I watch my feet trying to hide the faint trace of a blush as I think of sharing a room with Gajeel. We're showed a large room that has both a large bed and a comfortable looking couch. _THIS is not a room. It's a suite!_ Through a door near the bed is a large bathroom. The gentleman leaves after asking if we will dine in our room or in the dining room. Not wanting to intrude on the family, and trying to avoid an awkward situation I answer, "In our room please? So as not to disturb the family."

"I'll take the couch," I blurt.

Lily is already shaking his head before Gajeel gets the chance to. "No. Gajeel and I will take the cough. You take the bed," Lily orders. I know there is no sense in arguing with him so I sigh and go over to the bed.

 **Sometime During the Night**

 _ **Gajeel**_

I jolt awake unexpectedly. I stare at the ceiling momentarily as my breathing calms down. The room is quiet so I assume my two companions are sound sleep when I hear a small sound. I've heard the sound before. It's hard to describe, but it's like a light rainfall that fills the soul with sorrow. I remember hearing the same sound the first night Yukimi came down the stairs after waking up. When I had to carry her to bed. _She's crying…_ I sit up looking around the room. Lily is still in the bed where I asked him to sleep. There's no sign of Yukimi. I look toward the window seat behind the couch and see the silhouette of the quiet girl arms wrapped around her knees and head turned looking out at the night sky.

Climbing to my feet I stride over to the window. "Why are you crying, Yukimi," I ask in a whisper.

"Nightmare," she replies. She sniffs. I sit in the vacant seat. She looks at me, straight in the eye. The look in them throws me. _They're almost completely empty. Is this how she feels all the time?_ My chest starts to ache as we continue to just stare.

I clear my throat, "You want to talk about it?" she shakes her head. "Okay. Are you alright?" a nod. "Want to go back to bed? You need to sleep before the work starts."

"Alright," she sighs. I watch as she stands and crawls back into the bed beside a curled up Lily. I remain in the window seat well after Yukimi falls back asleep. Feeling sleep call my name I go back to the couch to finish my own sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Six**_

 _ **Yukimi**_

I yawn as we stand on the platform waiting for the morning train that will take us to Academy City. I can hear it in the distance. I groan inwardly at the thought of being stuck on that thing for two straight days. _At least I'm not alone. I doubt I'd survive if I were…_

"Yukimi," Gajeel calls. I look at him in the doorway of the train car. I shake my head realizing that I must have zoned out. Stepping on behind him we find our seats and sit down. I glance at the boy from the corner of my eye. His attention is completely consumed in his conversation with Lily. I take a moment to examine him.

 _He's really handsome and, oddly, familiar._ I take a deep breathand it dawns on me. I face palm telling myself I'm stupid. This earns the surprised stares of my two companions. "You are the boy that saved me, aren't you," I ask bewildered.

He nods, "I am."

"And the one who stole my clothes?" He blushes a deep crimson. _Oh!_ My heart thumps, _Wow._ It's all the answer I need. "Why," I ask.

He clears his throat, "Your clothes were shredded and blood stained. I felt like it wouldn't have been right for you to wear them again. So I took them while you were sleeping and replaced them." It's my turn to blush.

"You must think I'm terribly pathetic," I mumble looking at my hands.

"Not at all," comes the reply, "I think something terrible happened to you and you lost your way in the shadows." I blink at him taken by surprise. He looks a little shy, which is odd because I've never seen him anything but stern.

I shock myself by asking, "Are you trustworthy Gajeel?" I'm not the only amazed one. Gajeel is speechless, but he nods. "Some _thing_ didn't happen to me, some _one_ did," I explain quietly. He looks at me confused. I continue, "Three weeks a boy I knew jumped off a twenty story building. He was my childhood friend and the only person like me in the entire world, but he was also the only boy I ever loved." Tears pool in my eyes. I look down to hide them from my companions, but am unsuccessful. "I was there when he jumped," I whisper, "I was the last person he thought of before he did it and it was my fault because I was going to a different college than him. I was leaving him…" A sob slips from deep down.

"No," Gajeel states, "It wasn't your fault. He had something wrong with him." I look up at his blurred figure. One of his friends rest on my shoulder, "It's not your fault Yukimi," he assures softly. I nod my body shaking with the force of my tears.

We sit silently as I rein in my emotions once again. I take a deep breath looking at my companions. They both were identical concerned expressions. Gajeel asks, "Is that the reason you…"

"Tried to commit suicide? Yes," I answer, "But something kept me from succeeding."

"What do you mean?"

I sigh, "When I slashed my wrists I was alone in my bedroom in the middle of the night, but when I opened my eyes again it was daytime and I was hurdling towards the earth." _And I saw you which I'm beginning to believe is a God send…_

Gajeel and Lily are blinking at me. I give them a 'what' expression. "You're not from Earthland, then," I'm asked. I shake my head 'no'. They look at each other confused for a moment. "Edolas?" Again, I shake my head.

Now, even I am confused. "Are you saying that I'm not on Earth," I ask feeling panic rise in my blood stream. _Well, you are technically dead there,_ the little voice in my head tells me. I snap back, _Shut up!_ "Holy shit. Then tell me where the hell I am," I demand.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Seven**_

 **Escort Job Day 3**

I'm still very confused by the information Gajeel and Lily gave me two days ago about where I am, but I try not to think about it too much. I squint out the window into the early morning sunlight. The man on the intercom states that the train will stop at the Academy City station in twenty minutes. I shake Gajeel's arm to wake him repeating the information.

We sit in silence as the train pulls into the Depot. we disembark from the passenger car onto the platform making our way toward the exit. I breathe a sigh of relief as no one stares at us this time or whispers. The three of us look in different directions for the school. Lily spies it first leading the way.

It doesn't take long until we're staring up at the large building of the school. Gajeel enters first and begins snooping around for the dormitories. A sign on the wall points in their direction. I follow it to a Lacrima powered elevator. We all step on and I push the third floor button. The doors slide closed as we begin to ascend. On the third floor in front of the elevator doors is a sign that points in two directions. To the left are dorms 1 to 10 and to the right are dorms 11 to 20.

Gajeel and I look at each other unsure of what to do next when a student comes down the hall. Gajeel stops him and asks for Nevada Akimoto's room. He points us down the left side of the hallway. Turning in that direction we stop at room 304. Gajeel knocks and within a few moments the door opens. "Nevada," Gajeel asks. The kid steps aside allowing us entrance.

The room in modest with a closet and full bath. Boxes litter the floor some closed neatly and labeled with his name and whatever items are inside others haphazardly filled waiting to be closed. The kid's face lights up like a Christmas tree as he gets a good look at us. "You're Black Steel Gajeel," he gapes excitedly. Gajeel looks uncomfortable being recognized by this kid. "There's an article about you in Sorcerer's Weekly about a good deed you did. A picture too," Nevada explains.

"What," he snaps. Nevada rushes to pick the magazine up from his desk and quickly finds the article, handing it to the Dragon Slayer. Gajeel reads over it; Lily doing the same from over his shoulder. They both stiffen as they read the article through a few times. Gajeel hands it to me to read. I look at the photo first; Gajeel in kneeling on the ground in front of a small framed person in a pair of light colored shorts. I can feel myself growing pale as I start to read the article:

 **Yesterday, Black Steel Gajeel was seen with this mystery person. No one knows who this person is or what they look like. Only that the Dragon Slayer jerked them from the sky subsequently saving them from a terrible death. Sources say that this mystery person has recently joined Fairy Tail, but has not yet revealed a name. Could this person be an Angel? Is it someone Gajeel knew from his Phantom Lord days? Or could this be Gajeel's secret girlfriend? We'll know more in the next issue.**

I hand the magazine back to Nevada my face downcast. _Oh God. What if they find out who I am...? Everyone would know my secret. My life would be ruined!_ Just as I feel like I'm about to bolt for the door there's a knock. Nevada answers it. On the other sideof the door is another student of the school. "Hey, Neva," he stops dead in his tracks, "Oh my God. It's her!"

"Who?"

"What?"

The kid lifts the cover of the new issue of Sorcerer's Weekly for everyone to see. The cover states: Mystery Person Discovered! I feel dizzy as Gajeel rips the magazine from the new kid's hands. He turns to the page with the new article showing me as well. There's my face staring at Lily as he talks to me at the train station in Magnolia. The article reads:

 **Meet Yukimi. The Angel that fell from the sky. An Angel she must be to have such an innocent and haunted face. She is the newest member of Fairy Tail and rumored to be secretly stealing Gajeel's heart. Evident in these next two images of the said Wizard in two different women's boutiques apparently buying this beautiful young woman clothing. Not much else is known of this graceful beauty yet. More will come.**

Horrified, I walk toward the window. I'm speechless as my mind races to put everything together. Everyone in the room is silent as well unsure of what to say or to say anything at all. After a few tense silent moments I turn stating, "Let's just finish this job."

"You sure, Yukimi," Lily asks, "I'm sure it would be alright for you to back out and return to the guild hall." Gajeel is still silent as he stands next to his friend. I shake my head holding my ground. I'm coming off as sure when I feel anything but.

Nevada clears his throat, "I can help you stay out of the public eye if you'd like. I know we leave for my home in the morning, but I promise I won't tell anyone you're here. Reggie too, right?" The kid nods his head. "I can give you the money to buy you new clothes, too, that no one knows you have."

"Why do you want to help her," Gajeel asks, "You don't know her or understand anything about her."

Nevada glares, "And you do? You only met her two weeks ago. I want to help her because I can tell she never wanted to be in the public eye."

"Don't argue," I demand, "I could use the new clothes and, yes, I don't want to be famous. Gajeel, let's just finish this job then we can go back to the guild and figure out what to do about all this." The two boys nod.

Nevada digs in his back pocket pulling out money. He hands me 500,000 Jewels. "Bring back whatever you don't spend," he smiles. I nod moving toward the door. Gajeel and Lily follow me out. I go down the hall a little farther to take the stairs. I don't realize that I'm leaving my companions behind. Several flights down the stairs I stop out of breath and sink onto the steps.

I can hear Gajeel and Lily as their voices travel down the stairs. I stand composing myself not allowing my feelings to show. They catch up to me. We continue down the steps. "Nevada will meet us at the train station in the morning," Lily tells me. I nod.

Outside the school's dormitory building my companions and I start looking for clothing stores. Gajeel points one out saying, "I'll wait outside for you."

"Okay," I bob my head opening the door. Inside I go over toward a rack holding dresses. S _ince everyone has seen me in pants I'll go a bit out of my comfort zone._ There is a cute black, purple, and silver crushed-velvet dress with bell sleeves. I take it into the dressing room to try on. Once I have it on, I check myself out in the full length mirror. It looks good on me; accenting my waist and neck line and ending at my mid thigh. It has a hood as well, which I did not notice before. Checking the price I see that I can afford it with enough left to buy a pair of shoes.

Satisfied I go on the hunt for some shoes. It's successful and I purchase my findings. I exit the shop, hood up, and see Gajeel leaning against the wall. I go over to him. He glances my way and does a double take. He looks impressed bringing a bright flush to my cheeks. "Ready," I ask. He clears his throat, hiding his blush by looking away. He straightens himself and we start walking down the street.

 **That Evening**

 _ **Gajeel**_

After hunting down some food Yukimi goes to take a shower. While she's doing that Lily and I talk about what to do. "Everyone who reads that stupid magazine knows her name now," I growl, "She changed her clothes so no one will notice her, but how are we going to keep her from drawing attention with herself with her name?"

Lily offers, "What if we came up with a nickname for her? A variation of her name or something different altogether."

"Sounds okay to me," I confirm. Making sure she hasn't come out yet I whisper, "I bought something else for Yukimi, too. Right before we left Magnolia. I wasn't sure if she would like it so I didn't give it to her."

"What was it," Yukimi asks from behind us. I jump surprised that I didn't hear the door open.

I turn to face her blurting, "Nothing, Kimi."

Her eyes widen and cloud as her skin pales. It's almost like she saw a ghost. I stand walking toward her confused by her reaction. "Don't call me that," she whispers, "Don't ever call me that again."

"Why?"

She looks away answering, "Hotaru used to call me that nickname." My face falls. _I can't believe I didn't think about that before. Her having a nickname from him._

"I'm sorry, Yukimi," I comfort placing my hands on her shoulders. She nods telling me it's okay that I didn't know. Without thinking I pull her into my arms hugging her. She rests her head against my chest and sighs. I let go of her and take a bundle out of my pack. I bought this for you.

After I hand it to her she opens the wrapping. Out spills the long black coat with white Fairy Tail emblems around the border. "Gajeel it's beautiful," she smiles.


End file.
